Most people believe that Islam is a religion. Even some of the followers of Islam believe it is indeed a religion and just started 1,5 millennium ago from Middle East. This book discusses Islam as a way of life behind the religion. This way of life was followed by people from Africa and Asia many millenniums earlier and until today around the world.

In classical Arabic, Islam is not a proper noun, but a reference to peace. Therefore, this book uses The Peace to refer to Islam as a way of Life and Islam to refer it as a religion. Similarly, The Peacefuls refers to the followers of the way of life, while Moslems refers to the followers of the religion. The title of this book uses the word Islam instead of Islamic to further emphasize its descriptive use rather than a proper noun.

This book is positioned as a quick introduction as well as a quick reference to Islam as a Personal Way of Life, Personal Religion and Source of Public Policies. If you are looking for in depth explanation, then Islam Way of Life Explained discusses why certain keywords is used in this book and in debates around them. If you are looking for a step-by-step implemention of the religion, then Islam:Spirituality details the Believe System, Religious Rituals and guide of raising an Islamic family. If you are looking for Islam implementation in Public Policies, Islam:Legislation compares legislations among Islamic and Secular countries around the world.

The Peace as a message has many ideals but also has challenges. The first three chapters of this book talk about those ideals in practical way. The last two chapters will talk about the challenges. Chapter 1 is about how to become a peaceful, a natural human being. Chapter 2 is about how to become a real believer, a high ranking peaceful. Chapter 3 is about how to build a progressive nation, for better use of its potentials. Chapter 4 is about how to learn and not to learn from Islamic sources. Chapter 5 is about how to win and its challenges.

The Straight Path

The Quran is the holy book of The Peace. The opening chapter of Quran says everything you need to know about The Peace as a way of life or path.

1In the name of God, the Almighty, the Most Merciful. 2Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds. 3The Almighty, the Most Merciful. 4Possessor of the Day of Judgment. 5You alone we serve, and You alone we seek for help. 6Guide us to the straight path. 7The path of those whom You have blessed, not those who have incurred the wrath, nor the misguided.

According to the passage above, The Quran assumes that the reader of Quran is the one who follows three criteria:

Believe in God

Believe in The Final Justice

Follow The Straight Path

Believe in God assumes that something, either natural or supernatural, creates and maintains the planets so they don’t crash into each other. Believe in The Final Justice assumes that no thieves nor murderers will get away without paying for their crime. This also means that good works will always get rewards.

The Peaceful’s Charter

These three criteria are repeated in Koran 2:62 or Koran 5:69. The words in bracket are addition to summarize of what follows it.

“Those (every single human)

who believe, and

those who are Jewish, and

the Sabiens, and

the Nazarenes;

whoever of them (follow three criteria)

believes in God and

the Last Day and

does good works,

then they (get salvation/inner peace)

will have nothing to fear

nor will they grieve.”

According to Quranic standard above, every human regardless of their religion will get salvation as long as they follow three simple criteria. It is important to note that this is a charter, a take and give. People join this charter voluntarily to get some benefits in return. People who join this charter are called a peaceful. This is because they enter The Peace to get inner-peace.

Note: The purpose of The Peaceful’s Charter is to serve God by doing good to yourself and other human being. As comparison, the purpose of Islam as religion is to worship God (called Allah by them) in order to please Him. Similarly, The Peacefuls are the voluntary servant of God, while Moslems are the slaves of Allah. As a slave of Allah, Moslems are willing to endure low quality life in pursuit for a better life in hereafter, while The Peacefuls pursue better life both now and in hereafter. God is self-sufficient and does not need any slave. Some Moslems are Peacefuls, while some Peacefuls are Moslems, as well as Jewish or Nazarenes. Peaceful Moslems become slave of God voluntarily out of love and not because God needs it.

Warning: Some Moslem scholars who oppose The Peaceful’s Charter declares that this verse is invalid or withdrawn. See Islam Way of Life Explained for further information. Fortunatelly, they do not withdraw nor invalidate the verses that define The Straight Path on the next Section of this book.

The Moral Criterion

The third criteria “does good works” is to follow The Straight Path or “My Path, a Straight One” as mentioned in Koran 6:150-153:

Say: “Come let me recite to you what your Lord has forbidden for you: that

you should not set up anything with Him; and

be kind to your parents; and

do not kill your unborn children for fear of poverty, We provide for you and for them; and

do not come near lewdness, what is plain of it or subtle; and

do not kill the soul which God has forbidden, except in justice. That is what He enjoined you that you may comprehend.”

And do not come near the money of the orphan, except for what is best, until he reached his maturity; and

give honestly full measure and weight equitably. We do not burden a soul except by what it can bear, and

if you speak then be just even if against a relative; and

regarding the pledges made to God, you shall observe them. This He has enjoined you that you may remember.”

And this is My path, a Straight One. “So follow it, and do not follow the other paths lest they divert you from His path.

That is what He has enjoined you to that you may be righteous.”

According to Quranic standard above, to follow The Straight Path is to avoid crimes against Equality, Family, Humanity, Fairness and Integrity. Those values are personal moral values and not a license to punish people who violates those values. Chapter 3 The Legal Limits restricts what we can do to protect ourselves against such crimes.

Equality

The simplest example of set up anything with or making equals with God precedes and side-by-side with its prohibition in Quran 6:150:

Say: “Bring forth your witnesses who bear witness that God has forbidden this.” If they bear witness, then do not bear witness with them, nor follow the desires of those who deny Our revelations, and those who do not believe in the Hereafter; and they make equals with their Lord!

According to Quranic standard above, make equals with God is assuming yourself as a partner of God (Bigotry). Bigots innovate taboos and restrictions against tolerance, freedom and equality between humans. Human are equals to each other but not with God.

This moral code was revealed several millennia ago, inspiring many philosophers and political movements towards Equality, Liberty, Solidarity, Rational, Secularism and Democracy. We can witness this by examining how Ibn Rushd (a.k.a. Averroës) helped trigger the European Renaissance and Western Civilization.

Humanity

Fairness

The next three sacred prohibitions is about being fair when dealing with orphan’s wealth, doing business and giving testimony in court. There are more practical details about it in 17:34-35.

You might notice that God use the terms sacred prohibitions to explain The Straight Path. The sacred prohibition of usury in Koran 2:275 might be the explanation the 6th sacred prohibition, about being fair in business.

Integrity

The last two sacred prohibitions are about keeping your promise you have made with God and following only His Path, the Straight One. We group them as Integrity value as one should follow all the sacred prohibitions above as whole to be accepted by God.

The Wisdom

The Straight Path is simple but not easy. Therefore, 6:145 precedes it with dietary prohibitions. Moreover, Koran 17:23-39 repeats, details and expands it with four extra prohibitions. Koran 17:39 names them as part of The Wisdom.

That is from what your Lord has inspired to you of the wisdom. And do not make with God another god, or you will be cast into Hell, blameworthy and regretting.

The wisdom also acts as a safety net. For example, being responsible could prevent bigotry-related crime when one does just blame God for all his/her crime. Similarly, solidarity wisdom could prevent money-related crime. Chapter 3 will explain how to respond to a crime.

Solidarity Wisdom

Koran 17:26-30 encourages us to be sparing and kind, instead of greed and insults. Some people might refer this as solidarity and empathy.

Respect Wisdom

Koran 17:36-37 encourages us to be cautious and humble, instead of blame and show-off. Some people might refer this as responsibility, honesty and respect.

Food Wisdom

Koran 2:173 forbids only what is already dead, and the blood, and the meat of pig, and what was dedicated to other than God.

More details and the reasoning is provided through 5:3, 6:145, and 6:118. We found that, if you knew how bad is the food prohibited by God, you will never even consider to eat it.

Learn Wisdom

People do make mistakes. People may ask for help, guidance, or forgiveness of their Creator . This can be done directly, any time and in any language without artificial restrictions.

People may glorify or remember his Creator. While the first one can be done on occasion, the later should be done continuously, 24 hours per day . This is because remembering Him means honouring His prohibitions, such as avoiding corruptions. Forgetting Him means violating His prohibitions.

The Spirituality

In the previous chapter, we learn about salvation. In this chapter we will learn something better. Just after explaining The Straight Path, in 6:153, God mention about the righteous. In 49:13, God mentions that it is the highest honor a human can get.

In 2:177, God explains that being righteous requires much more than only moral and wisdom:

Believe in God and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Scripture, and the prophets,

Give money out of love to the near relatives, and the orphans, and the needy and the wayfarer, and those who ask, and to free the slaves, and

Hold the contact-method, and

Contribute towards betterment; and

Keep their pledges when they make a pledge,

Patient in the face of good and bad and when in despair.

First, God offered us with The Peaceful’s Charter, where we need to believe only in God and the Last Day. We don’t have to believe in Quran nor Muhammad as far as this charter is concerned. Now suddenly, we need to believe in the Angels, the Scripture and the Prophets. This is clearly a new charter offered by God.

These are not just physical rituals. To achieve righteousness, one should be focused and determined. And not like the people described by God as:

The Believer’s Charter

In 8:2-3, this new charter is not offered for the entire humankind, but only for the believers. In Modern Islam, believers is known as Moslem.

When God is mentioned, their hearts reverence; and

When His revelations are recited to them, it increases their faith; and

They put their trust in their Lord.

They hold the contact-method, and

from Our provisions to them they spend.

The benefit of this charter is the believer will become a real believer that will recieve:

Grades with their Lord and

A forgiveness and

A generous provision.

We will call it the Believer’s charter. Another proof, that this charter is not for everybody is in 49:14-15. Here, God refuses one person to call himself a believer. Finally, God only allow him to call himself a peaceful. In other words, he pacts only The Peaceful’s charter with God, but not the Believer’s charter yet.

In the Modern Islam, a person converts into Islam religion by uttering two confessions. The first confession makes him a peaceful to God. The second one makes him a believer to God’s Book and Prophet. With these two confessions, a person pacts both the Peaceful’s charter and the Believer’s charter with God at the same time.

The diagram below ilustrates human grades, from the highest to the lowest:

Real believer

Please do not confuse the terms Real Believers and Believers. A true believer is a believer, while a believer is not always the true believer. In the Modern Islam, the term believer is synonim of the term Moslem, the follower of Muhammad. Real believer is the highest rank possible for Moslem, while rejecter, a false believer, is the lowest rank possible. A false believer are either hypocrite or sharer Moslem. Righteous and Criminal are a general classification mentioned in Koran 19:85

The Contact-Method

Holding the contact-method is part of Believer’s Charter. The contact-method has specific goals:

The 11:84-87 is the proof that contact-method is a tool to prohibit evil and vice. Here the people of Median questioned whether the contact-method ordered Shu’ayb to prevent corruptions in business dealing.

Unfortunately, these two goals are not automatic. In 107:4-7, there are cases of people doing the contact-method but failing to reach its specific goals, because:

His is totally heedless

They only want to be seen

And they deter from helping others

This book suggests that the secret to having an effective contact-prayer is to have an activity during or after the contact-method aimed to reach its goals. Such activities might include:

Doing it together with family

Reciting God’s Message

Evaluating its implementation againts the goals

In the Modern Islam, the contact-method is the most important activity. But in 29:45, it is what you do after the contact method that is more and the most important. This activity is called remembering God. In 3:191 , it is important because it is done continuously during standing, sitting and resting, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

We learn from the previous chapter that remembering God, includes remembering His commandments during every single activities in our life. Remembering God is the last defense against the devil. In 5:91, we can witness that intoxicants and gambling is the most powerful weapons used by the devil to cause strife between people and repel them from remembering God.

The Development

Spending is part of Believer’s charter. In various part of Koran, it is refered as the development. We cannot find any practical detail about it in Koran. But in 9:103, the development is detailed as either charity or spending. So, if we collects all details about both charity and spending, we conclude that it is to bring welfare benefit to the women, your family, the relatives, the orphans, the poor, the needy, those who work to collect them, those whose hearts have been united, to free slaves, those in debt, in the cause of God, and the wayfarer.

The Legal Limits

The influence of Peace is not limited to personal values and rituals, but in public as well. Some law makers call the influence of Peace in public policy as Islamic law, some call it just law. Even when it is called Islamic Law, the exact legislation may differ from country to country. In Malaysia, it is even different from state to state.

Such difference is expected, since each country or state has different goals and different history. Koran only regulates upper and lower legal limits as mentioned in Koran 4:13-14. This allows every nation to pick any point within The Legal Limits to be their legislation. For example, the Queen of Jordan does not cover her hair, while such and act is a crime in its neighbour, Saudi Arabia. Another example is when Brunei Darussalam abolished the death penalty [1], it does not violate Koranic Legal Limit.

Koranic concept of public policy is mentioned in Koran 3:104. In this book, the policy of acceptable and unacceptable is called legislation. In Koran 42:38, mutual consultation is the best way to decide the legislation and leadership between people but without violating the Koranic Legal Limits. Therefore the Koranic concept of consultation is somehow comparable to the concept of Democracy. At the same time, Koranic concept of Legal Limits is somehow comparable to the concept of Human Rights.

Civil Law Limits

NOTE:

Bible is referred for comparison only.

These are limits. The actual law may differs significantly but does not violates the limits, for example actual dress-code law may be much more restricted than God’s limits.

Some of these limits are restricted only to a specialized group. But legislation can be made to extend it, for example limits only for prophets wives can be extended to all believing women, or even to all women.

The Guidance

There is a shocking truth about Koran. Koran contains not only guidance, but also traps! This warning or disclaimer is mentioned in the start of the third chapter of Koran.

He is the One who sent down to you the Scripture, from which there are firm verses; they are the essence of the Scripture; and others which are similar to each other. As for those who have disease in their hearts, they will follow what is similar from it seeking to confuse, and seeking to derive an interpretation. But none know its interpretation except God and those who are well founded in knowledge, they Say: “We believe in it, all is from our Lord.” And none will remember except the people of understanding.

In God’s point of view, this traps are tests to exposes those people who has disease in their hearts, such as bigots and hypocrites. While it is a useful feature, it can be abused to justify or rally supports for malicious agenda.

Fortunatelly, the verse above gives at least three obvious things to watch out:

firm verses

disease in hearts

interpretation of non-firm verses

This chapter will help you to focus on firm verses, to heal heart disease and to ignore interpretation of non-firm verses. This method is known as Fundamentalist or Essentialist Literal understanding of the Koran.

Focus on Firm Verses

There are five most valued book of Islam. One is the Koran, two hadith books and two history books. It will take more than a lifetime to truly understand them. But the essentials from those five books, can be learn in five minutes to five weeks, if you follow the guide from this chapter.

According to Koran 30:30, humans are naturally born as Peacefuls. The concept of God, Final Justice and important commandements of Islam from Chapter 1 of this book is known even without opening the Koran. For implementation details and approximate descriptions of the unseen worlds, they can always learn it from the scholars.

God guides

(Lord), You alone We do worship and from You alone we do seek assistance. (Lord), guide us to the straight path, the path of those to whom You have granted blessings, those who are neither subject to Your anger nor have gone astray (1:5-7)

God is the Most High and the True King. (Muhammad), do not be hasty in reading the Quran to the people before the revelation has been completed. “Say, My Lord, grant me more knowledge.” (20:114)

Start with the best message

Jabir b. Abdullah said: God’s Messenger say:” The best message (khayrul hadeeth) is the Book of God, and the best of the guidance is Muhammad’s. And the most evil affairs are their innovations; and every innovation is error.”

God has revealed the best message (ahsanal hadeeth) in the form of a Book with similar passages which refer to each other and make the skins of those who fear their Lord shiver. Then their skins and hearts incline to the remembrance of God. This is the guidance of God. He guides whomever He wants. No one can guide those whom God has caused to go astray. ( 39:23)

Start with the fundamental

It is God who has revealed the Book to you in which some verses are clear statements (which accept no interpretation) and these are the fundamental ideas of the Book, while other verses may have several possibilities. Those whose hearts are perverse, follow the unclear statements in pursuit of their own mischievous goals by interpreting them in a way that will suit their own purpose. No one knows its true interpretations except God and those who have a firm grounding in knowledge say, “We believe in it. All its verses are from our Lord.” No one can grasp this fact except the people of reason. (3:7)

A good example of law verses versus similar verses is 4:3 versus 4:129 about poligamy. While first is a law verses, clearly marked with imperative words, the later is a mere statement of facts. But, scholars are polarized by the later verses producing a totally opposite interpretation about poligamy.

Do not wait

Learning God’s book might take generations and certainly will not fit in our lifetime, especialy if it includes research on multiple-meaning (mutasabah) verses. It will be wise not to wait until we finish learning the book. Start practicing it once you understand the straight path, and gain more knowledge when you need it.

Believers, do not let your wealth and children divert you from remembering God. Whoever is diverted will suffer a great loss. Spend for the cause of God out of what We have given you before death approaches you, and say, “Lord, would that you would give me respite for a short time so that I could spend for Your cause and become one of those who do good”. God will never grant respite to any soul when its appointed time has come. God is Well-Aware of what you do.(63:9-11)

Heal heart disease

Dig evidence

Do not follow what you do not know; the ears, eyes, and hearts will all be held responsible for their deeds. (17:36)

Language is not barrier

Had We sent down this Quran in a non-Arabic language, they would have said, “Why have its verses not been well expounded?” Could a non-Arabic Book be revealed to an Arabic speaking person? (Muhammad), say, “It is a guide and a cure for the believers. As for those who do not believe, they are deaf and blind. It is as though they had been called from a distant place”. (41:44)

I do not need to swear by the setting of the stars – which is indeed a great oath if only you knew it – that this is an honorable Quran preserved in a hidden Book which no one can touch it except the purified ones. (This Quran) is a revelation from the Lord of the Universe. (56:75-80)

Listen others carefully

Is it that they do not think about the Quran or are their hearts sealed?. (47:24)

Whenever the Quran is recited (to you), listen to it quietly so that you may receive mercy.(7:204)

Secret behind arabic keywords

When you recite the Quran We place a curtain as a barrier between you and those who do not believe in the life to come. We put a veil over their hearts so that they cannot understand it. We deafen their ears. When you mention your Lord in this Quran as One (Supreme Being), they run away. (17:45-46)

The disbelievers say, “Do not listen to this Quran but make a lot of unnecessary noise while it is being read so that perhaps you will defeat it”. (41:26)

Ignore interpretations

Learn surroundings & related verse

You, who have wrapped yourself up with a mantle, worship (God) for a few hours at night. (Worship Him) for more or less than half of the night and recite (rateel) the Quran in a distinct tone (tarteel); (73:1-4)

Your Lord knows that you and a group of those who are with you get up for prayer sometimes for less than two-thirds of the night, sometimes half and sometimes one-third of it. God determines the duration of the night and day. He knew that it would be hard for you to keep an exact account of the timing of the night prayers, so He turned to you with forgiveness. Thus, recite from the Quran as much as possible. He knew that some of you would be sick, others would travel in the land to seek God’s favors, and still others would fight for the cause of God. Thus, recite from the Quran as much as possible, be steadfast in prayer, pay the zakat , and give virtuous loans to God. Whatever good deeds you save for the next life, you will certainly find them with God. This is the best investment, and for this you will find the greatest reward. Ask forgiveness from God. God is All-forgiving and All-merciful. (73:20)

Beware of multiple meaning words

(Muhammad), when you recite the Quran, seek refuge in God from the mischief of satan. Satan has certainly no authority over the believers who have trust in their Lord. The only authority which he has is over his friends and those who consider things equal to God. (16:98-100)

(Muhammad), give the glad news to those of Our servants who listen to the words and only follow the best ones. Tell them that they are those whom God has guided. They are the people of understanding. (39:18)

(After having revealed the Quran to you) in all truth and justice, your Lord’s Word has been completed. No one can change His Words. He is All-hearing and All-knowing. Most of the people in the land will lead you away from God’s guidance if you follow them; they only follow their own conjecture and preach falsehood. (6:115-116)

Consider (Muhammad) how God (in a parable) compares the blessed Word to that of a blessed tree which has firm roots and branches rising up into the sky and yields fruits in every season, by the permission of its Lord? God sets forth parables for people so that they may take heed. An evil word is compared to an evil tree with no firm roots in the land and thus has no stability. God strengthens the faith of the believers by the true Words in this world and in the life to come. He causes the unjust to go astray and does whatever He pleases. (14:24-27)

Learn examples

In revealing this Quran to you, We tell you the best of the stories of which you were unaware.(12:3)

We have mentioned in this Quran all kinds of examples for the human being, but most human beings turn away in disbelief. (17:89)

Know the ranges (hudud)

For example cutting thief hands is a maximum punishment, the minimum on is mentioned right after it. d’s point of view, this traps are tests to exposes those people who has disease in their hearts, such as bigots and hypocrites. While it is a useful feature, it can suprise people who believe that this book is a pure guidance. This chapter explains several techniques to extract the core while dodging the mine fields in Koran and other Holy Books of Islam.

The Success

Since the birth of humankind, the Peaceful community experienced rise and fall. This chapter tries to expose what what can we learn from this experiences. Please move this wikipage into here.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah by Sayyid Saabiq by Muslim Student Association of University of Southern California. “This work presents hadith evidences for rulings corresponding to about 95 percent of those of the Shafi’i school.”, Nuh Ha Mim Keller.

MuslimHeritage.com, “1000 years of missing history of Muslim contribution to present day Science, Technology, Arts and Civilisation”, Foundation for Science Technology and Civilization, United Kingdom.

Stefan Rosty Founded TruthBooth22.04.07

479,690 hitz

“Virtual Insanity”

That's not nature's way
Well that's what they said yesterday
There's nothing left to do but pray
I think it's time I found a new religion
Waoh - it's so insane
To synthesize another strain
There's something in these
Futures that we have to be told.
JAMIROQUAI